


Reciprocation

by BlueGeranium



Category: Naruto
Genre: Confessions, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-24 19:22:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17710103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueGeranium/pseuds/BlueGeranium
Summary: There's a visitor on the roof of the Hokage tower on a night that Kakashi is working late. It's not a coincidence. From either side.





	Reciprocation

**Author's Note:**

> Having re-watched the series recently, I've been attacked by a proverbial HORDE of plot-bunnies. Whether I'll end up finishing any of the lengthier ones or not, have a one-shot as a hello from me to the fandom.  
> (This features the majority of reasons why I think having Hinata and Naruto get together at the end of the series if the cheap way out in my opinion, so if you have a soft spot for the pairing, you might not like some of it. To say the least, this is not chapter 300 compliant)

Normally, Kakashi would have made sure to make some sort of noise on purpose when walking up to someone who was not expecting him like that. It was only common courtesy, since, as most shinobi, he usually moved completely silently without even thinking about it. But in this particular case, he knew he didn’t have to, as the person in front of him would sense his coming regardless. And sure enough, he was still all the way on the other end of the roof of the Hokage tower when the lone figure lounging against the railings shifted in reaction to his silent interruption upon his solitude.

“Taking a break from the paperwork to do some star-gazing, Hokage-sama?” Naruto inquired, without turning around to look at him. There was just the slightest bit of mockery in his tone when he used the title, as always. But Kakashi knew better than to take issue with it. His former student, and future successor, had full respect for him having acquired the position, and it was only his instinct to tease that made him habitually imply anything else with his voice.

“Well see, it’s a bit distracting when trying to concentrate on trade policies to have your gloomy presence hovering somewhere right above my head. I thought I better check it out, before the heaviness of your mood made the building collapse on top of me,” Kakashi explained almost cheerfully as he joined the other at the edge of the roof, where a view opened out over the village that the Sixth Hokage usually found way more mesmerizing than what was over their heads. Stars seemed cold and lonely to him, whereas the life of the village, even at this late hour, never failed to fill him with warmth.

It was thriving. Alive.

They’ve succeeded in protecting it.

Mostly thanks to the figure next to him, which chuckled humorlessly.

“Sorry,” the blonde said, a hand shooting up to rub the back of his neck, “I didn’t plan to disturb you. You’re working awfully late tonight, Kakashi-sensei.”

The attempt at redirecting the conversation was so obvious that it was clear that Naruto wasn’t even really trying. Perhaps he _needed_ to talk then. Kakashi was surely the wrong person for something like that, but he _had_ climbed out here tonight knowing it was a possibility.

The things he was willing to do for the youth at his side never ceased to surprise even himself.

“It couldn’t be helped, since a certain apprentice of mine left for his lunch break today and must have become lost on the road of life on the way back, since he never returned to help with said paperwork,” Kakashi pointed out, faking a confused wonder in his tone. Naruto huffed, obviously not amused. Then, after a hefty moment of silence passed, he seemed to give in.

“…I met Hinata on my way back,” he admitted, quietly. This was no news to Kakashi, who immediately let the other know as much.

“So I’ve heard. So everyone has heard by now, probably.”

Multiple times. From different people as everybody and their summons seemed to suddenly have no better pastime than to gossip about their local hero.

Kakashi himself, admittedly, inwardly went through a big variety of emotions as different details about Konoha’s most eligible bachelor’s encounter with the Hyuuga girl reached him over a prolonged period of time. He had long since stopped denying what shape his interest in Naruto’s personal life had taken, although he had no intention of revealing that to anyone. Maybe. Unless… no, no. He might have acknowledged to himself what a fucked up bastard he was, but he would _not_ act on it.

The gray-haired shinobi was drawn out from his thoughts as Naruto groaned, sounding quite miserable, in response to his quip remark.

“Sakura-chan is going to kill me.”

“That has always been a possibility,” Kakashi said, complete lack of concern in his light tone, “You do seem to have a penchant for invoking her murderous intent, this is hardly a new thing.”

Said pink haired kunoichi had burst into Kakashi’s office in search of Naruto just a few hours ago, apparently feeling very righteous about her quest to kick her blond-haired ex-teammate’s ass for something that did not concern her at all. She had the most shocked and betrayed expression on her face when Kakashi asked her to leave after making a promise that he would definitely _not_ let her know if Naruto showed up. He really needed to have a word with his only female student soon and set her straight about a few things…

He wouldn’t have been able to keep his anger away from her if he had attempted to do it today, however. And dealing with Naruto came first, in any case.

“I _tried_ to be as gentle as possible when turning Hinata down…”

“Maa maa, I’m sure you did,” Kakashi answered patronizingly, “Which explains all the rumors of her running off only _crying_ and not outright sobbing when you were done.”

Naruto growled and tugged on a handful of his own hair in frustration, which made Kakashi feel a _tiny_ bit evil about his flippant attitude. But Naruto must have known what he was signing up for when he started having his heart to heart with Kakashi of all people.

Besides, he had to know his old sensei well enough to realize the older man did not really mean it.

“I know she has loved me for like… forever,” the blond muttered out then, “And I appreciate it, really. It’s flattering and all, but it doesn’t change the fact that I… don’t. I don’t. I don’t love her that way. I don’t even know her that well, not where it counts. She is sweet, and lovely, and strong, and brave and inspiring. She has been an amazing, supportive friend whenever I needed her. But so has… Sakura-chan, and Shika, and Kiba, and Chouji and… Wow, I have a lot of friends,” he suddenly paused in the middle of his rant as the realization hit him, leaving him looking amazed. But the amazement and happiness soon morphed back into exasperation, “But all of them think that I must return her feelings just because _she_ has had them for so long, as if that makes us becoming a couple fate or something,” then he reconsidered for a bit, “Well, Shika doesn’t. And that should say something, shouldn’t it, if the smartest of them doesn’t agree?”

Kakashi wisely stayed silent instead of trying to respond to the explosion of words. Naruto was obviously not yet finished.

“I’m not _that_ ignorant. I knew people seemed to be holding their breaths for the two of us to get together ever since the war ended, at the very least. I had hoped that me pointedly not doing anything about it would be enough for people to get the hint. She outright _confessed_ to me during the fight with Pain, before nearly dying for me, you’d think it would be obvious that if I had any intention of doing something about it, I would have done it after _that_.”

Oh so all of that avoidance of not-so-subtle attempts of his friends’ to play match-makers had been intentional... Kakashi _had_ wondered. Well, Kakashi had _hoped_ , really. After all, it was either that or Naruto being absolutely obtuse. And even Naruto shouldn’t be _that_ obtuse.

“Is it wrong of me to not return her feelings?” Naruto suddenly sounded way smaller and more insecure than he ever should. It made the hair on the back of Kakashi’s neck rise in anger, to see the blond made to question himself in such a way. After all he has done for them, did they really demand more of him? “They act as if I _owe_ it to her.”

Apparently they did.

Kakashi bit back the ire that he felt, since it was definitely not directed at the youth next to him, and forced himself to answer calmly, but sternly.

“No. You don’t owe her, or _anyone_ , your love, Naruto. That’s just not how it works,” he sighed from behind his mask, and leaned onto the railings more, redirecting his gaze back to the village in front of them, “People simply love fairy-tale endings. And since you’ve done so many deeds akin to a hero from one of those children’s storybooks, I suppose they just take it as a given that you should end up with one. The big evil has been slayed. The world got saved. It’s only right for you to settle down with a sweet girl that adores you as well, isn’t it?” he asked wryly, letting the young man realize from his intonation alone just how he perceived the validity of such expectations himself, “The people that are truly close to you and understand you – Shikamaru, Sasuke… _me_ – would never agree. Except for Sakura. But then, Sakura's senses are blinded in this case.”

Naruto shifted, and Kakashi could swear he could _hear_ his confused frown.

“What do you mean?” the boy gave in and asked eventually, not able to figure it out himself.

“Sakura has personal reasons for wanting to see a girl get the person she likes through sheer patience and persistence,” Kakashi answered meaningfully.

He let that sink in.

“…oh.”

That didn’t take long.

“You’ve done all that could be asked of you. You tried your best not to lead Hinata on. You let her down gently. She will get over it, and when she does, maybe she’ll see that she was in love with what you stood for more than she was in love with you.”

Kakashi allowed himself to glance back at Naruto then, and saw that the boy had a thoughtful expression on his face and a distant look in his eyes as has gazed out onto the view in front of them without seeing. He appeared calmer now, as if Kakashi had honestly succeeded in comforting him. Maybe somehow, miraculously, for once in his life Kakashi had found the right words.

What a novel concept.

Unwilling to ruin this unexpected success, but also experiencing a weird desire to not yet stop there, Kakashi found himself interrupting the silence that had fallen comfortably around them again.

“When I first heard she approached you, I was actually a little bit afraid that you’d say yes to her,” he revealed, and could only smile and shrug when Naruto instantly twirled his head to stare at him with wide eyes in reaction, “You grew up without a family, not knowing love as you deserved to. I feared you’d think that having someone _like_ you was good enough. That one person wanting you was all you could expect, and you should just grab it while you can, because you won’t get another chance. But you deserve more. You deserve someone that understands you fully, someone you share a strong bond with. Someone who you’d actively love yourself, and not someone you’re merely… comfortable with.”

Naruto’s eyes stayed wide as Kakashi finished his explanation. The older man felt quite exposed under that gaze, knowing he had revealed quite a bit of himself even if he had spoken about Naruto. It was an uncomfortable sensation, and one he wasn’t familiar with, having always taken care to keep himself hidden under multiple layers of aloofness and mystery.

The things he was willing to do for the youth at his side…

The youth that was still staring at him mutely. But Kakashi found himself unable to look away either. Finally, Naruto blinked and the tension that had grown between them for some indiscernible reason melted away.

“I know that. Now. But you’re right, a few years ago, I would have thought that one person even seeing me was miracle enough. But that’s before I forged bonds with more people and learned what it was to care and be cared about by many,” the blond said and chuckled with slight melancholy, turning around to lean back on the rails with his elbows and direct his gaze up at the Hokage monument instead, “And definitely before I realized there _was_ someone in my life like you just described: someone who understood me, stayed by my side through everything, knew the same pain I did, forged a bond with me… Someone I could love and be fulfilled and happy with, not just comfortable.”

Something in Kakashi’s chest constricted painfully when he saw the expression that settled on his former student’s face as he spoke about this person, when he recognized the feeling that shone in those eyes that seemed so brightly blue even in the darkness of the night that fell around them.

Naruto was in love. It was obvious to a point where Kakashi had to wonder how come no one had noticed it before.

He opened his mouth to ask… and then closed it again.

What a coward he was. But there was a tiny part inside him that dared to hope, and that made him very afraid to hear an answer to his would-be question. Because if there had been no hope at all, it would have been fine. But now... Kakashi was in no hurry to get that small part inside him killed.

Suddenly, Naruto let out a slightly forced laugh.

“Of course, it’s not like there’s any guarantee that this person would ever return my feelings. But I’d rather stay alone than settle for someone else anyway,” he stated with an uncharacteristic kind of seriousness, “And I do believe the connection I feel with them is not one-sided. After all I’ve never seen them do as much for anyone else as they do for me. They’ve always looked after me, have saved my hide way too many times and dragged me back home when I couldn’t do it myself,” the youth continued talking, almost as if to himself, as if Kakashi was not standing right next to him, staring at him, feeling how his heartbeat seemed to speed up with every word Naruto spoke, “And their belief in me… it’s staggering. Overwhelming,” the blond’s voice gained an awed note to it, “Whenever I doubted myself the worst, _that_ was what got me through it in the end. Even now, whenever I waver or feel lost, I find myself gravitating towards them and they’re always there for me. They wouldn’t do that if there wasn’t at least _something_ they felt for me back, right… Kakashi-sensei?”

There was a long moment of silence, after which Kakashi closed his eyes and swallowed. His fingers were curled tightly around the railing at this point, since he knew that if he were to release his grip, his hands would be shaking.

That small part inside him… suddenly it was _all_ of him.

He re-opened his eyes.

“Maa, Naruto,” he said, pretty shocked to realize how normal he sounded despite the thunder in his ears, “I'm no great expert in these matters, but it sounds to me like you've come to the right conclusion here.”

He was looking in a different direction, but from the corner of his eyes he could still see how Naruto’s lips curled into a brilliant smile.

“Kakashi, I-”

With abruptness that startled even him, Kakashi moved, finding himself in front of the younger man in a blink. Naruto was looking up at him expectantly, smiling, having obediently stopped himself from saying another word, and Kakashi’s hand rose to one of the whiskered cheeks on its own volition.

And damn, it _was_ trembling.

“There was another reason for why I was afraid you might say yes to Hinata,” he confessed then, gruffly, “And it’s _this_.”

Without letting himself think about it anymore, Kakashi leaned in and pressed their lips together with a sort of desperation he hadn't felt in ages. Even through his mask, Naruto’s lips felt softer and more responsive than Kakashi could have dreamed for, and Kakashi let his eyes flutter closed as he breathed in the blonde’s scent, letting it fill his lungs and convince him that this was truly happening.

Naruto let out a needy moan and wound his arms around Kakashi’s neck so he could pull the taller man further down towards himself, teeth making an appearance as he nipped on Kakashi’s lips, playfully, but obviously hinting at his desire for there to be no barrier between them.

There were loads of reasons why he should not do this. Millions of reasons he had repeated in his head night and day to convince himself it was a bad idea. Thousands of reasons he knew other people would bombard them with. Hundreds of reasons that would be whispered behind their backs even if people accepted them. Tens of reasons that were actually valid.

But all of those reasons faded away in the face of the fact that Naruto _loved_ him.

Growling slightly when Naruto purposefully let his teeth be caught on his mask again, Kakashi lifted his other arm and pulled it down with more force than required, nearly tearing it. Before Naruto could even realize what happened, Kakashi already had their lips pressed back together and eagerly sought out his first proper taste of the blonde in his arms, his tongue finding its way into Naruto’s willing mouth where it was met by its equally enthusiastic counterpart.

When Kakashi came back to his senses, they were both panting, their faces still only an inch apart. At some point, Kakashi had pressed the younger man hard against the railing, and their bodies were now flush together.

Perhaps it was all a little sudden and a little fast. But with Naruto grinning foxily up at him, quite obviously drinking in the sight of his bare face, Kakashi couldn’t bring himself to care.

“This is all very nice and all, and I’m _very_ happy,” Naruto cheekily interrupted his thoughts then, “But if we’re gonna continue, which I’m all for by the way, could we perhaps do it somewhere where my dad wasn’t stonily looking at us?”

Kakashi froze. Then he turned around towards the Yondaime’s face on the Hokage monument, and in a moment of unknown confidence, winked at it.

For some reason, he was suddenly sure that Minato-sensei would understand.

Still, Naruto had a point. It was a bit of a mood breaker. With a grin, Kakashi tightened his grip around the man that against all odds, reciprocated his feelings, and shunshinned them away.


End file.
